This invention relates to a new process for biotechnological upgrading of raw shale oil. More particularly, the invention relates to a new biotechnological process for treating raw shale oil to remove the nitrogen-containing contaminants thereof.
Specifically, the invention provides a new technique using microbial cultures to selectively remove damaging nitrogen-containing compounds, such as, for example, the aliphatic and heterocyclic nitrogen compounds as nitriles, quinolines and the like, from raw shale oil without attacking the valuable hydrocarbons in the said oil. The new process broadly comprises treating the raw shale oil with microbial cultures having specific ability to degrade the harmful nitrogen-containing compounds, such as the amines, nitriles and heterocylics as the quinolines and pyridines, and converting them into non-damaging components, without degrading any of the hydrocarbons contained in said oil, said treatment being accomplished in the presence of an alternative source of carbon, such as glucose or succinate under aerobic conditions.
The invention further provides a technique for the preparation of microbial populations which are specific to the degradation of the aliphatic and heterocyclic nitrogen-containing compounds generally found in the raw shale oil.
Deposit of the material set out herein has been deposited in American Type Culture Collection No. ATCC 55084,55082,55083,55081.